John Travoltage Use this simulation to answer the questions below. Be sure to write your answers in a font color other than black. Lab Questions: 1. Rub John Travoltage's foot on the carpet and observe what happens. What is this called? Where have you seen this before? Explain why this happens. (Use a COMPLETE SENTENCE!) 2. Watch after you stopped rubbing John Travoltage's foot on the carpet, what happened to the charges in his body? Were the charges in his body positive or negative? Explain why the charges do what they did. (Use a COMPLETE SENTENCE!) 3. Now, touch John Travoltage's hand to the door knob. Observe what happens. Explain why this happens. (Use a COMPLETE SENTENCE!)

When you rub John Travoltage's foot on the carpet, he experiences static electricity, which is similar to the sparks you might see when you touch a metal object after walking on a carpet. This occurs because electrons transfer from the carpet to John’s foot, giving him a negative charge. After you stop rubbing his foot on the carpet, the charges in John’s body remain imbalanced, and he becomes positively charged because he lost some of the electrons to the carpet. The imbalance happens because electrons are mobile and move to equilibrate with surrounding surfaces, leading to the build-up of static electricity. When John touches the door knob, the excess negative charge in his body makes a connection with the positively charged metal knob, causing a discharge of electricity. This happens because electrons want to balance out, and when he completes a circuit with the knob, the charges flow, resulting in a small shock!